Gravel separator



Nov. 18, 1924..

C. N. OLSEN GRAVEL SEPARATOR Filed April 1,2 1924 2 Shouts-Sheet l i f Ea CARL N. OLSEN. or FUEIBLO, coronnno, assrenoa or (inn-HALF TO THEro'uN'rA'IN SAND AND enavnn COMPANY, or renew, COLORADO.

GRAVEL SEBABA'IOB.

Application filed April 12, 1924. Serial No. 706,119.

To all whom it may concern. Be it known that I, CARL N. OLsnN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Pueblo,'in the county of Pueblo andState of Colorado, have invented certain new and "useful Improvements ina Gravel Separator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful 7 improvements in means forseparating gran- 10 'ul'ar material obtained from river beds orfthelike, and has for its'principal object to provide a'device whereinmeans is provided for sepa'rating and removing the lighter material suchasfljeaves or the like from the granular material, so that the granularma- "terialwill be free of any foreign substance. A further object ofthe invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character,wherein a continuous circulation of water through the granular materialbeing separated is provided, thus rendering thepperation of theseparator economical and providing gravel which may be used for variouspurposes free of leaves and sticks. s

A still further object of the invention is "t o provide a gravelseparator of the above mentioned character, wherein means is associatedfor retarding downward movement '30 of the granular material obtainedfrom the river bed so that the lighter material may be easily separated.therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide device of the abovementioned character, which is simple in construction.

inexpensive, strong and durable and furthermore adapted for the purposesfor which it is designated. v

Qther objects and advantages of this in 40 yention will bec'ome apparentduring the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming apart ofthis specification and inwhich like Qnun erals designate like parts throughout I I gFiguije Ii aside elevation'of my improved separator with parts broken away, v7Figure 12 is a vertical section taken approximatelyfon line 2'2 ofFigure 1,

" ugt e3 fis aj similar section taken on e'l i s ajfragmentary plan viewof the separat'ingftrough I p t In he dr awing, wlierein'for the"purpose *ofillii'stration is *sho'w'n the preferredenr p artment 4.

bodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates the tank of myimprovedseparator and extending vertically adjacent one end thereofbetween the side walls of the tank is the partition 2 which forms themain compartment 3, and an auxiliary coin- The auxiliary compartment -Ithas its top portion cut away as more clearly shown in Figure 1 of thedrawings, and the purpose of this construction will hereinafterbe morefully described. i

Extending vertically within the ,1 injain compartment 3 of the tank 1,adjacentiithe partition 2 is the conduit 5. The lower por tion of theconduit is offset as shown at 6' and the portion thereof facing the endWall of the compartment 3 is cut away as shown at 7, providing adischarge which communi cates with the main compartment 3 in the manneras will be presently described.

The upper portion of the conduit 5 is provided with a lateral offset ordischarge outlet 8 which extends through a suitable opening provided inthe partition 2 and communicates with the'grate 9 which supported on thetop of theauxiliary compartment 4 in the manner as illustrated in Figure4 of the drawings.

Extending through one of the sidewalls of the crank 1 and arrangedwithin the main compartment 3 is the inclined supply pipe 10, the innerend of which communicates with the vertical conduit 5 in the mannerclearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings. If desired any suitablemeans such as the provision of a continuous fine s ray of water may beprovided for retarding the flow of the gravel as the same movesdownwardly through the supply pipe 'and discharges into the verticalconduit 5, in the manner as will be hereinafter'more fully described, vV p 7 Supported on a suitable bracket '12 arranged on the side of thetank 1 adjacentthe auxiliary compartment 4' in the inan' ner clearlyillustratedin Figure 1 of the drawings, is a pump designated generallyby'the 'the'sa me. The rotary pump l i is adapted to communicate withtheauxiliary compartment lby means of the inlet pipe"15 in the manner asillustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. The outlet pipe 16 of the pump13 extends vertically adjacent the outer side of the auxiliarycompartment l and has a lateral extension 17 provided on the upperportion thereof and which terminates in the downwardly extending portion18 whereby communication is had with the main com.- partment 3. Theextension 18 is prefera disposed in the main compartment 3 adyacent thevertical conduit 5 in the manner as is clearly illustrated in Figure 1of the drawings.

The outlet pipe 1 is further provided with a by-pass 19 which has anozzle 20 carried by the inner end thereof and the same extends throughthe side wall of the main compartment and communicates with the lowerportion or" the inclined supply pipe 10 in the manner as shown moreclearly in Figures 2 and 3 of" the drawings. Suitable valves such areshown at 21 and 22 in the drawings are provided for the outlet pipe 16and the by-pass pipe 19 respectively for the purposes well known in theart. Any suitable means may be provided for actuating the pump and I donot wish to limit myselt to the particular manner in which the same isactuated tor the purposes of carrying out the objects of the presentinvention.

As heretofore set torth, the pump of the auxiliary compartment 41- hasthe grate bars 9 extending: between the partition 2 and the end wall ofthe auxiliary compartment and the same are disposed directly below theend of the lateral discharge pipe 8. Suitable side walls such as areshown at 28 and 24 respectively in the drawings are provided inconnection with the grate bars and extend also between the partition andthe end wall and cooperating with the grate bars 9 is the trough Alsoarranged in the auxiliary compartment 4- and disposed between thevertical partition 2 and the end wall of the compartment is the verticalscreen 26. This arrangement is more clearly illustrated in Figure 2 ofthe drawings. The purpose of this screen will also be hereinatter morefully described.

Extending transversely through the side 'alls of the main compartment P1 the tank 1 adjacent the vertical conduit s the shaft The shaft isjournaled in the side walls in any suitable manner and adapted to besupported on the cen al portion. thereo't and further adapted to berotated therewith is the sprocket wheel 28 around which is trained thesprocket chain 29. Extending transversely predetermined spaced intervalson the sprocket chain 29 are the buckets 30 and the purpose thereof isto provide a means for elevating and removing the gravel within the maincompartment 3 therefrom for use whenever desired. Any suitable means maybe provided for actuating the sprocket wheel 28 and as the same is wellknown in the art, it is not thought necessary to further go in detailrelative to the same.

The operation of? my gravel separator may be briefly stated asfollowsusually when gravel is taken from a river bed. the same iscommingled with leaves, sticks and other foreign substances. For thepurpose ot seprating the lighter materials from the gravel bet'ore thegravel is used. the grand ar material as taken from the river bed Isdeposited in the supply pipe 10, and as the same moves downwardlytherein, a fine spray oi water will tend to cause the same to moredownwardly in a substantially fine stream. Vvith the pump in operationand the valves open, a jet of water will be forced through the nozzle 20into the lower portion of the supply pipe 10 so that the latter materialcommingled with the gravel will be caused to be forced upwardly into theconduit 5 and discharged out through the lateral extension 8 and thesame moves over the grated bars 9 and is discharged onto the trough 25.It is of course to be understood that a certain amount of water will becarried upwardly with the leaves so as to facilitate the same beingdischarged through the lateral pipe 8 and onto the trough and the waterupon reaching; the grated bars 9 will drop into the auxiliarycompartment 4:. The sand after having been separated from the leaves andsticks moves downwardly in the vertical conduit 5 and is dischargedthrough the outlet 7 into the main compartment The outlet pipe 6 willhave the valve 21 open and the downwardly extending portion l8 formed onthe upper end thereot will cause a supply oi water to be delivered tothe sand or gravel in the main compartment 3. thus circulating: the samewithin the compartment. The water in the auxiliary compartment 4 will hefiltered through the screen 26 and will then be caused to be supplied tothe pump through the medium of the pipe 15,thereby providing a means forproviding a con-- tinuous circulation of water through the compartmentand the pipes whereby the sand or gravel may be easily and efficien ycleaned and separated free from any leave or sticks. The clean gravelmay then be re moved from the main compartment when ever it is desiredto use the same by means of the endless chain 29 and the buckets 30carried thereby in the usual manner.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, that a gravelseparator has bee provided which will thoroughly and etiicientlyseparate the gravel from the leave: and sticks which are commingledtherewith when the same is obtained from the river bed, and a device ofthis character may not only be inexpensive but the construction thereofis such as to enable the same to be operated by a single'person and willfurther be strong and durable.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my'invention, it is to'heunderstoodthat various changes in thesize, shape and arrangementof-parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention and scope offthe appended claims.

Having thusde'scribed the-invention, what I claim is 1. Argravelseparator comprising a tank, a vertical partiti-onin said tank providinga main and auxiliary compartments, a vertical conduit arranged in themain compartment having its lower portion discharging Q'nto the maincompartment, a supply pipe com municating with the vertical conduit, alateral extension provided on the upper portion of said verticalconduit, grate bars supported in said auxiliary compartment andcommunicating with the lateral extension, a trough associated with saidgrate bars, and means for separating the lighter materials from thegravel forcing the same upwardly through the vertical conduit anddischarging the same through the lateral extension onto said grate barsand said troughs, the gravel being discharged downwardly through thevertical conduit into the main compartment, and means for providing acontinuous circulation of water through the con'ipartment, the supplypipe and vertical conduit.

2. A gravel separator comprising a tank, a vertical partition in saidtank providing a main and auxiliary compartments, a vertical conduitarranged in the main compartment a supply pipe communicating with thevertical conduit, a lateral extension provided on the upper portion ofsaid vertical c'onduit, rate loars supported in said auxiliarycompartment and communicating with the lateral extension, a troughassociated with said grate bars, means for separating the lightermaterials from the gravel forcing the same upwardly through the verticalconduit and discharging the same through the lateral extension onto saidgrate bars and said troughs, the gravel being discharged downwardlythrough the vertical conduit into the main compartment, said meanscomprising a pump communicating with the auxiliary compartment, anoutlet pipe communicating with the main compartment, and a by-passextending from the outlet pipe and communicating with the inner end ofthe supply pipe.

3. A gravel separator comprising a tank, a vertical partition in saidtank providing a main and auxiliary compartments, a vertical conduitarranged in the main compartment having its lower portion discharginginto the main compartment, a supply pipe communicating with the verticalconduit, a lateral extension provided on the upper porfor separating thelighter =mater-ials frem the gravel "forcing the same 'ul'a'ward throughthe vertical conduit and dis'chjt' ing the same through thelateralextens-ion onto said grate bars and-saiditroughs, the gravelbeing ment for conveying the gravel therefrom.

4. A gravel separator comprising a tank, a vertical partition arrangedtherein providing a main compartment and an auxiliary compartment, avertical conduit arranged in said main compartment adjacent said mainpartition and having the lower end thereof offset and provided with adischarge outlet communicating with the main compartment, a lateralextension provided on the upper portion of said vertical conduit and:extending through an opening provided in the vertical partition, gratebars supported in the auxiliary compartment and cooperating with thelateral extension, a trough associated with the grate bars, a supplypipe extending through the side walls of the main compartment andcommunicating at its inner end with the vertical conduit, a pumpsupported on said tank and communicating with the auxiliary compartment,an outlet pipe for said pump having its discharge end extending into themain compartment, a hy-pass extending from the outlet pipe through theside wall. of the main compartment, a nozzle on said by-pass extendinginto the lower end of the supply pipe to force said supply of waterthrough the gravel passing downwardly in the supply pipe so as to causethe lighter materials to be delivered upwardly through the verticalconduit and discharged out through the lateral extension onto the gratebars and to the trough, the water passing through the lateral extensionreturning to the auxiliary compartment, and a screen arranged in theauxiliary compartment.

5. A gravel separator comprising a tank, a vertical partition arrangedthere-in providing a main compartment and an auxiliary compartment, avertical conduit arranged in said main compartment adjacent said mainpartition and having the lower end thereof offset and provided with adischarge outlet communicating with the main compartment, a lateralextension provided on the upper portion of said vertical conduit andextending through an opening provided in the vertical partition, gratebars supported in the auxiliary compartment and cooperating with thelateral extension, a trough associated with the grate bars, a supplypipe extending through the side walls of the main compartdischargeddownwardly" through the vertical conduit into the'main compartment, andmeans in said compartment and communicating at its inner end with thevertical conduit, a pump supported on said tank and communicating withthe auxiliary compartment, an outlet pipe for said pump having itsdischarge end extending into the main compartment, a bypass extendingfrom the outlet pipe through the side Wall of the main compartment, anozzle on said by-pass extending into the lower end of the supply pipeto force said supply of water through the gravel passing downwardly inthe supply pipe so as to cause the lighter materials to be deliveredupwardly through the vertical conduit and discharged out through thelateral extension onto the grate bars and to the trough, the Water passing through the lateral extention returning to the auxiliarycompartment, a screen arranged in the auxiliary compartment, and meansin said main compartment for con veying the gravel therefrom.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CARL N. OLSEN.

